Q2: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HELMETS: GOOD IDEA OR NOT? IF SO, FOR WHOM?
BAHMAN: We don’t use helmets in our parks. They are a good idea in theory, but we have done research on accidents in adventure parks, and they would not have been prevented by the use of a helmet.
Of course, we have to be very careful to make sure there are no dead branches or anything that can fall onto our courses. So we bring in an arborist at least three times a year to look for and remove anything that could fall. The most dangerous thing right now is somebody dropping a cell phone or a camera on somebody else’s head below them. We tell all guests that phones and cameras have to be secured in their pockets.
Otherwise, any impacts that would occur would be a side impact, and those would not be prevented by a helmet. We also feel helmets might make people feel more protected, even if they are not.
KEN: I like helmets. There are too many places where I’m just out there inspecting, I’m bumping my head on stuff all the time. I think it’s a good idea to wear a helmet. I expect at some point standards will have to address this issue. The lack of helmets has been kind of an old-school strategy; in the long run a lot of people will be wearing them.
CLOE: Helmets are a big issue. We don’t use them; we’ve seen they are not necessary for our parks. I know ACCT and ANSI recommend helmet use. But we are careful. Nothing is going to fall from the sky or the trees. Nobody uses helmets in Europe in adventure parks; it has been pretty well proven that they are not needed.
KEITH: For most instances wearing a helmet is the best practice, especially if operating in a forested area where a branch could fall on you or on a multiple level adventure park. That said, most commercial operations seem to not be using them.
My opinion: All kids under 16 should wear a helmet, 16 to 18 can waiver out with a parent’s signature, any adult gets offered one and can waiver out with their own signature. One way to encourage use: put GoPro cameras on them and sell memory cards so guests can record their experience.
DAVE: If parks are properly designed and built, helmets are not a necessity. However, in some parks, where there is no consistency in the height of the safety lifelines or the design of platforms, you often see guests ducking and dodging cables and platforms. In cases like that, helmets would be recommended.
